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"I am not sure," he said "The vampaneze may have made a base there, but I do not see why - it is out of the way of their other strongholds"

"We could send soested

He considered that, then shook his head "We have already lost too ically important site Best to leave it alone"

Mr Crepsley rubbed the long scar which divided the flesh on the left side of his face and went on staring at the hter than usual -their hair short, because of the ticks - and he looked alht of the Hall

"It bothers you, doesn’t it?" I noted

He nodded "If they have set up a base, theyon the humans I still consider it hohbours and relations suffering at the hands of the vampaneze"

"We could send in a teahed "That would not be fitting I would be putting personal considerations before the welfare of the clan If I ever get out in the field, I shall check on the situation myself, but there is no need to send others"

"What are the odds on you andout of here?" I asked wryly I didn’t enjoy fighting, but after six years cooped up inside the hts out in the open, even if it le-handed

"The way things stand - poor," Mr Crepsley admitted "I think ill be stuck here until the end of the war If one of the other Princes suffers a serious injury and withdraws froht have to replace hirimaced

"You don’t have to stay," I said quietly "There are plenty of others who could guide h "There are plenty ould steer you," he agreed, "but how many would clip you around the ear if you made an error?"

"Not many," I chuckled

"They think of you as a Prince," he said, "whereas I still think of you first and fore spiders"

"Char - Mr Crepsley always treated me with the respectThere was a special bond between Mr Crepsley and s to me that no other vampire would dare I’d be lost without hi the map of Mr Crepsley’s former home to one side, we returned to theof the events which would eventually lead us back to the city of Mr Crepsley’s youth, or the awful confrontation with evil that awaited us there